Premature babies and paediatric children can require food and or drugs to be delivered to them via a feeding tube. Depending upon the baby/child's individual requirements a different type and size of feeding tube may be used and it may be inserted nasally (naso) or orally (oro). The main types of feeding tubes are nasogastric, nasoduodenal and nasojejunal. A nasogastric tube is inserted though the nostril, down the throat and into the patient's stomach. A nasoduodenal tube is inserted through the nostril, down the throat and through the stomach and into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. And a nasojejunal tube is inserted through the nostril, down the throat and through the stomach and into the jejunum, the second part of the small intestine. Generally the size of tube used for infants range from 5 Fr to 10 Fr (diameter 1.67 mm to 3.3 mm).
In use a feeding tube must be adequately secured so that it cannot be pulled out by the baby requiring replacement or repositioning by the nurse/caregiver. Correct checks must be performed to ensure a feeding tube is correctly positioned. For example, if a nasogastric tube is pulled out during feeding, the tube may be repositioned incorrectly in the patient's lungs and not the stomach.
Problems with prior art placement methods for securing a feeding tube to a patients face include pressure sores on the patient's face and pain or damage to facial skin upon removal or replacement of the tube. Further, combined therapy of a feeding tube and a respiratory treatment interface such as a cannula for provision of a flow of respiratory gases via the nares can result in tubes competing for space in the nostril. This can exacerbate pressure sores and irritation to the skin, and feeding tube and breathing tube interference and entanglement can increase the risk for the feeding tube to be pulled out.
Primary considerations for methods for securing a feeding tube in place are the time required for a nurse to prepare and secure the feeding tube, the frequency and effort needed to replace the securement method and/or the feeding tube under normal patient care, the ability to reapply the securement method when patient therapy requires cycling of respiratory treatments, for example between CPAP and nasal high flow therapies, the dexterity required to place the securement method when dealing with an agitated baby, the ability for different nurses to apply and secure the feeding tube in a consistent method with minimal variation, and the amount of force translated into painful tension of the skin when the tube is pulled.
Adhesive tapes or adhesive patches (when repeatedly applied and remove), particularly for infants, create problems. Problems include, but are not limited to, skin irritation from adhesive chemicals (or adhesive removal chemicals, such as solvents) or tape materials (e.g. due to skin sensitivities), damage to user skin due to repeated application and removal of dermal patches or tapes for positioning or re-positioning of the interface for the user.
In the specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the disclosure. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages, or to provide an improved method or system for securing a feeding tube in place on a patients face, or to at least provide the medical profession or users with a useful choice.